Rattenkonig is a tragic and sad indie horror game about a rat who’s tied to it’s dead brother and must search for a way to survive. The games name is based on a real life phenomenon known as a rat king. It’s where rats tail’s get tied or bound together and are stuck like that forever, relying on every rat in it to survive. Their existence is debatable though. None or hardly any have ever existed, making it a sort of folk tale.
Anyway, you have to make your way through the tunnels. Looking for more rats, or a way to get the tails loose. The gameplay is a bit tricky and frustrating at first. You need to time your jumps and tail movements right to get past obstacles. It takes some getting used to at first.
The Unexpected Sad Story of Rattenkonig
Most of the cutscenes are pretty dark and kind of sad. The ending hits the hardest of all. I nearly cried! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so bad for a rat before. Seriously, be prepared to cry if you play. I thought for a moment maybe the saw got their tails, but nope, it got a bit more than that.
Rattenkonig is so cold and dark, but also kind of beautiful and eye opening. The poor rat, in his last moments looks back to when he was born and just a baby rat. His last moment is laying on his brother, who he imagines as their mother for the only comfort that’s left.
Though sad, and super depressing, it’s an excellent indie game with a really good message. It’s one of the few that have left me with a long lasting impression. Both the artwork and music were a perfect mix. The cutscene drawings are crisp and told the story in the best way possible. I’d highly recommend playing through the entire game, even if platformers aren’t your thing. The story is worth it.
